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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29526591">Together</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwritingbella/pseuds/badwritingbella'>badwritingbella</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>This Is Us (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Other, Sibling Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:33:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,382</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29526591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwritingbella/pseuds/badwritingbella</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Jack's death brought the siblings closer rather than further apart?</p><p>A different take on the night when Jack died. Focusing mainly on Kevin, Kate, and Randall.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Pearson &amp; Kate Pearson, Jack Pearson &amp; Kevin Pearson, Jack Pearson &amp; Randall Pearson, Jack Pearson/Rebecca Pearson, Kate Pearson/Kevin Pearson/Randall Pearson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>First fic, yeah!!! It's sort of short but I hope you guys like it and leave a kudos if you do! Also comment if you want a bonus chapter! Enjoy!</p><p>*I do not own the show or any of the characters. All rights go to the owners.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kevin stumbles onto a nearby bench. He left in the middle of the night because he didn’t want them to see him like that. He never admits it but he still felt responsible for Kate and Randall as their older brother and for his Mom too.  And he knows he should be with them right now, not alone in some broken-down bench in the middle of who knows where but he couldn’t stop thinking about his last conversation with him. Every last sentence, word, breath from that moment ingrained in his mind, playing over and over again.  The 17-year old wipes a stray tear. If he could just...if he could just turn back time! Kevin thought back to all the moments he said he hated him, the times he ignored him, the times he hurt him. It was torture. But still, he did it until hot tears were streaming down his face.</p><p>He thought he deserved it.</p><p> </p><p>There was a sharp pain in his chest, one that made him feel like air was just being sucked out of his lungs. He tries to take a breath, gripping the wet wood planks of the bench just to ground himself but there was no stopping it now.  “Kevin, Kevin, hey, we’re here.” Someone says, quickly cupping his face in her hands while another puts his hand on his shoulder. It was Kate and Randall, faces noticeably stained with tears. Kevin barely saw them though. More liquid spilled out his eyes, taking in sharp, shallow breaths as he mutters “Dad” repeatedly. Randall knew exactly what was happening. He moves in front of Kevin and holds his shoulders, gentle but firm. “Kev, Kevin, we’re right here. You just have to breathe, okay? Look at me, Look at Kate and just follow our breathing.” Randall says, taking in deep breaths in hopes that Kevin would do the same which he does. Soon enough, Kevin calms down and attempts to dismiss Kate and Randall. “No, Kev! Why are you pushing us away?!” Kate raises her voice, tears spilling from her eyes. “Kate, no-” “No, Randall! Our house was on fire, Mom’s a mess and Dad is dead! We need each other right now and I don’t understand why he wants to just ignore us!” She shouts, harshly reminding them all of their situation.</p><p>“Because I’m supposed to be the older brother! Because I’m supposed to be the strong one, Kate! Because I was supposed to be the one that stopped Dad from going back in that house but where was I, huh? I was at a party, Kate! I was at a party while you guys were in a burning house!” Kevin yells back, standing up, tears falling down his face. He falls back down, feeling the weight of guilt on his shoulders again. “You’re not supposed to see me like this. I should be the one comforting you, not the other way around...” He whispers, refusing to meet the heartbroken eyes of his siblings on him. Randall sighs, looking down. “It’s not your fault, Kev..I should’ve been the one who stopped Dad. But I just watched. I watched as he went back into that room. I watched as it burst into flames. I heard the clock tick of every second he was there. I heard Mom’s screams, Kate’s. But I just watched like a useless id-”</p><p>“Stop. Randall, no, stop.” Kate interrupts. She won’t let her brothers even think of blaming themselves. She couldn’t. Not when it was her fault. She knew they would disagree, she knew they would do everything they could to make her think otherwise, she knew they would remind her every day for the rest of their lives that it wasn’t her fault. That was just who they were to her. They were her knights in shining armour who always protected her even when they deny it. “It’s my fault.” “Kate-” “Kevin, you weren’t there, okay? I told- He got us all out..and then I told him that Louie was still in the house.” She explains, reliving the moments to their very last detail. Randall and Kevin had their eyes on their sister as if trying to figure out ways to protect her from herself. “Even..even in the scariest moment of our lives, he couldn’t bear to see me...disappointed?” She chokes out, wiping her tears. You could almost hear her two brothers' hearts break. They were also ones who would give anything in the world not to see her disappointed, hurt, or broken in any way.</p><p>Silence surrounded the siblings, all caught up in guilt and the dark realization that their father...died. And that they never got to say goodbye.</p><p>Kevin snaps out of his mind and puts both his arms around his siblings beside him, pulling them in protectively. He knew he could never erase those memories but he was set on trying. “Hey Kate?” Randall speaks up after a few seconds. “Yeah?” “Love you, sis..” “Love you too, little bro” Kate replies, eliciting a small chuckle. “Kev?” “Yea?” “Love ya, big bro.” “Love ya too, little brother..” Kevin replies, ruffling Randall’s hair, making them all laugh which was comforting, to say the least, to hear after their heavy moments. The three sit there, silently thinking that together? They’ll be okay.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, I'm back with a chapter 2! This one's a little shorter cause I wrote this a long time ago and I don't have the time to add to it right now(sorry!) but I'll probably add more chapters to this sometime in the future! Hope you enjoy reading it!</p><p>*I own none of the characters nor the show itself. All rights go to the owners.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They sit there for a while before walking back to Miguel’s house. It was about 15 minutes away so they had the time to talk. Something they haven’t done in a long, long time which was to be expected especially with all the teen-angst they were having. “Hey, you guys remember that one time when we were kids, when we helped them celebrate their anniversary?” Kate says, stopping to look up at the sky. Her brothers look back at her. “Yeah, how could we forget? Kev tried to make cornish hens then he cried when Dad forgot to put the oven on and thought they were going to get a divorce.” Randall chuckles, making Kevin turn a bright shade of red. “I really hate your brain sometimes.” Kevin jokingly shoots back. Kate chuckles, loving the sound of her brothers joking. It was a sound she didn’t know she missed so much. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<span>They continue walking, mostly in silence. Comfortable silence. Rather than the tension-filled silence they used to create all too often. But the silence was just external. Inside, there was only chaos. The noise of trying to find it in themselves to accept this grim new reality. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Soon enough, they get back to Miguel’s house. Kate goes to open the door to the guest bedroom she’s sharing with her mom but stops mid-way. “Hey, do you think I can...maybe sleep in...your bedroom..tonight?” She whispers. “Of course.” Randall replies, rather quickly, which Kevin notices. Kate walks into the room and shuts the door, leaving the brothers at the end of the hallway. “You scared of sleeping alone?” Kevin jokingly teases him but Randall’s face was filled with concern. “No, I’m scared of </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>sleeping alone.” He admits, pointing at the bedroom door Kate’s in. “She’s with Mom!” “But we both know Mom needs the rest and I’m scared Kate still thinks it’s her fault. And that one day, she’ll just break. Kev, you heard her earlier. She didn’t even let us talk about feeling bad or...or guilty! She took all the blame.” Randall worriedly explains, making Kevin worried as well. The older boy sighs. This wasn’t going to be fixed in a night but they were going to try like hell. How? They didn’t quite figure that part out yet. “I’m going to the kitchen. Just gonna make us hot chocolate. Then maybe you can just...talk to her? Sound good?” The younger instructs, following the plan he had just formed in his mind. Randall knew Kate and Kevin were his siblings but those two, they had a bond. One he was never going to have with either of them or anyone, actually. He used to be jealous about it but he’s realized he could still make bonds with them. Twin telepathy or not. He knew though that if anyone was going to get through to Kate, it was Kevin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walks to the kitchen, leaving half of the Pearson twins alone.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sort of a cliffhanger, im sorry!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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